The Alpilles and the Saint-Rémy de Provence region



This is another region of the Provençal interior in the northwest of the Bouches-du-Rhône département, south of Avignon and the Durance River and east of the Rhône.

This area is made up of small mountains and valleys. The Alpilles chain crosses it from east to west.



It is a traditional hinterland, the land of regionalist writers such as Alphonse Daudet and Frédéric Mistral.

Vincent Van Gogh lived in the small town of Saint Rémy de Provence and painted some of his major works here (sunflowers and cypresses).

Farming by the villagers yields abundant crops.



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The Camargue and the Arles region


The Camargue is one of the most beautiful nature reserves in Europe with a flora and fauna of exceptional diversity.

Saintes Maries de la Mer, Salin de Giraud, Port St Louis du Rhône, etc.

This is a land of river, marshes, sea and plains, a land of sky and water.

Located in the west of the Bouches-du-Rhône département, the Arles region is barely higher than the level of the Rhône delta and the alluvial plains, on the edge of the Mediterranean Sea.

It is an unspoilt natural area, where the sea, the river and the lakes mingle, and where the fauna flourishes in the environment: birds, bulls, horses and sheep.


In this setting, the ancient city of Arles, listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, brims with Provençal and Camargue tradition.

Here, industrial activity rubs shoulders with leisure activity. In the centre, Martigues is a blend of all these heritages.






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Les Calanques and the Marseille region

Between sea and mountain, the Marseille region occupies the south east of the Bouches-du-Rhône département.

This area has a contrasting relief. The towns developed here between the Etoile and Sainte Baume massifs to the north and the east, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south.


The harbour, opening wide between the indented coasts, explains the maritime nature of the city and its people from its very origins.


Marseille is the oldest city and the largest port in France.